Czarina Santos
English 121
Rhetorical Analysis
3/12/18
Jose Rizal
The colonization of the Philippines by Spain, also known as the Spanish Colonial Period, started with the arrival of European explorer Ferdinand Magellan who was sailing for Spain and the Spanish King in 1521. From 1521 to 1898 and for a total of 333 years, Spain had colonized and taken over the Philippines, sharing their culture, religion, and language. But this didn’t mean it was liked by the Philippine people, but more of ‘they endured’ the changes because they had no other choice; they wanted change, and they were going to get it one way or another. Jose Rizal was a novelist, a poet, a scientist, a doctor, a painter, an educator, and a person with a vision. He was ultimately going to help make the change that the Philippines needed. In 1892 he formed ‘La Liga Filipina’, a non violent forum for Filipinos to express their hopes for reform and to encourage freedom from the oppressive Spanish administration. On July 6, 1892, he was imprisoned on the charge of unrest and disorder against Spain and in 1896, he was sentenced to die, being convicted of rebellion and illegal association. He was executed later that year by a firing squad. Before his death, he had already made a big impact on the Philippine people. On June 20, 1892, years before he died, Rizal wrote a letter to his countrymen that he put “To be opened after my death.” From this letter, his use of ethos, his strong appeals to pathos, and his tone helped inspire the Filipinos and push them to pull away from the mistreatment of the Spanish.
Jose Rizal’s use of ethos establishes credibility, which helped revitalize and strengthen the way the Philippine people looked at him. He starts off his letter by automatically talking about how he feels, “I cannot live seeing my brothers, sisters, and their numerous families pursued like criminals; I prefer to face death.” By first stating that he can’t see his people suffer helps his audience relate to him; they too don’t want to see other Filipinos struggle. By saying that he is willing to die for his people helps form trust beca...
